Review: Miss Sloane

Jessica Chastain in Miss Sloane

Miss Sloane is a story about guns and gun control. Only in the United States could a story like this be told. Every other country in the world has better sense where guns are concerned.

Picture this: A man believes that U.S. citizens should have a background check before they can legally buy a gun. In the same way that citizens should be required to get their dogs rabies shots or pass a test before being allow to drive a car, there should be some requirements for gun ownership.

The man believes this so fervently that he is willing to work 16 hours a day for no pay to lobby Congress to pass legislation that would require background checks. This man is skilled and brilliant at his job. He uses people and organizations for his own purposes to accomplish his goals. He’s always one step ahead of the lobbying organizations that oppose him. He always saves his trump card to play after the opposition has played theirs. And his trump card is always better.

In his struggle to do the right thing he is in danger, is called before Congress, vilified in the press, and faces years in jail. Eventually he wins and the legislation is passed. The victory costs him his personal freedom, but it was worth it.

He’s a hero! He accomplished an impossible, life-saving feat! The world is a better place because of him.

But what if he was a she? Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) to be precise? She’s not a hero. She’s a cold-hearted, manipulative bitch. An ice queen who uses and discards people without remorse.

That’s what a lot of the people who saw Miss Sloane said about the film. But now the film is available on Amazon Video [Miss Sloane] and Netflix and you can watch it yourself and make your own decision about Elizabeth Sloane.

Personally, I thought Elizabeth Sloane thumbed her nose at the patriarchy in the most exquisite fashion.

Jessica Chastain and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Miss Sloane
Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays a character suddenly thrust into the limelight by her boss

I found Miss Sloane fascinating and full of surprises. It was over 2 hours long but felt fast moving the entire time. The characters talked fast, events moved fast, and Elizabeth was yards ahead of everyone around her. Intrigue ruled.

Sam Waterston, Raoul Bhaneja, Alison Pill, and Michael Stuhlbarg in Miss Sloane
Sam Waterston, Raoul Bhaneja, Alison Pill, and Michael Stuhlbarg were among the opposition.

Jessica Chastain was fantastic in Miss Sloane. She was surrounded by a marvelous cast. This included Alison Pill, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Christine Baranski, Michael Stuhlbarg, John Lithgow, Jake Lacy, Meghann Fahy, Raoul Bhaneja, and Sam Waterston.

Jessica Chastain played Elizabeth Sloane as cool and in control. The only time she cracked was when she meant to crack for her own reasons. There was only one person who surprised her: Forde (Jake Lacy), a paid escort. The rest of the time, people were dancing to her tune whether they knew it or not.

I thought Miss Sloane was an excellent film with a brilliant performance from Jessica Chastain. If you see it, please share your thoughts about the film in the comments.

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